Eventually old copper potable water pipes in building oxidize (or corrode) and the pressurized water begins to leak out. So may have heard of slabs leaks or pipe leaks in walls, and to replace these pipes is very costly and invasive.

Epoxy pipe lining is an alternative that works very well and is usually cheaper than the total cost of pipe replacement, which includes the demolition and repair cost of all surfaces affected by the replacement. It is used extensively in high rise buildings like hotels and apartment buildings that cannot afford the downtime or inconvenience of traditional excavation for pipe replacement.

Here’s how it works

First the pipes are sandblasted from the inside to remove all the old oxidation deposits. This is done by blowing air with entrained silica particles through the pipes. There is some “blowing” equipment upstream and “receiving” equipment downstream to capture the debris. Once the pipes are clean, air is again blown down the same pipe but this time along with an epoxy liquid that hardens in a few hours.

The epoxy used is the same food grade epoxy that you have seen on the inside of food cans, so it’s perfectly safe for consumption. This epoxy pipe lining is ideal for drinking water pipe lining, as it is very thin and very hard. But hard doesn’t necessarily make it strong, as it can crack under load-bearing applications, like under roads or wall footers. Generally epoxy pipe lining is used mainly in apartment, hotel and residential walls and floors, but not for sewer pipe relining.

But for situations where the pipe to be lined needs extra strength, regular drain lining pipe lining materials have to be used, such as the polyester and fiberglass felt impregnated with epoxy resin. These pipes are also usually of larger diameter, so the thickness of the liner has minimal effect on internal diameter reduction. This is called structural pipe lining (or just pipe lining).

Epoxy pipe lining is a pipe coating process that seals leaking pipes permanently. It prevents the need for repiping as it seals all copper pipe pinhole leaks from within the pipe. It also prevents lead from contaminating drinking water pipes from soldered pipe connections. Epoxy pipe rehabilitation is much less expensive than repiping and involves virtually no demolition in comparison. This type of pipe lining is usually used for water pipe leaks in pipes with 3/8”-4” in diameter.

When choosing the best method of water line repair, it is best to use the most tried and tested technology that fixes and then prevents pipe corrosion. Sometimes epoxy pipe lining is used to correct low water flow in potable water pipes. Low water flow is caused by the accumulation of corrosion deposits and scale from hard water. Hard water contains higher than usual levels of Calcium and Magnesium that combine with naturally occurring carbonates in the water to form calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate that cause blocked pipes. Corroding pipes result in discolored water, restricted water flow, deposits in glasses, pinhole leaks and lead water contamination.

Water line replacement the traditional excavation way is very invasive. It requires that all the leaking pipes be cut out of walls and floors, during which time there is no water supply. The ensuing mess has to be cleaned up of course, and in the meantime the repiping of drinking water lines means all tenants have no water supply, or restricted water flow, and for commercial application, production has to be shut down.

Epoxy pipe lining is used extensively where the structures are very old but also very valuable. In such instances repiping is not an option.

When choosing an epoxy pipe liner or epoxy pipe lining contractor, we recommend that you contact references which have had epoxy pipe rehabilitation. This type of trenchless piping has a long, steep and expensive learning curve. Not all epoxy pipe lining companies have the same epoxy pipe restoration experience. Pipe leak repairs do not have to be as invasive as replacing drinking water pipes by digging through concrete and walls.

If you have discolored drinking water coming out of your pipes, usually it is copper oxide imparting the color to the water. Pipe corrosion will be stopped completely by cured-in-place epoxy pipe lining. This type of trenchless water line replacement is so much better than repiping.

Epoxy Pipe Lining Has Additional Benefits:

Epoxy pipe lining is not a band aid! It's a permanent solution

Epoxy pipe repair eliminates the need asbestos abatement

Sections of the corroded copper pipe can be relined leaving other sections operable through the use of a temporary potable water bypass

Epoxy pipe restoration is much less noisy and allows facilities to continue with their business

Pipe repairs involving epoxy rehabilitation are the least invasive form of water pipe lining. Pipe corrosion and reduced water flow are alleviated permanently, as is discolored brown drinking water.